Brake-beam support and safety device



Feb. 9, 1932.

L.- G. MiLLER BRAKE BEAM SUPPORT AND SAFETY DEVICE Filed May 4. 1927 INVENTOR Jamie 6.

Patented Feb. 9, 1932 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS G. MILLER, F BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY BRAKEQBEAM SUPPORT AND SAFETY DEVICE Application filed May 4,

My invention relates in general to car trucks and more particularly to trucks of the four wheel type, wherein the brakes are forced upon the tread of each of its four wheels simultaneously from both sides of the 1 brake-beams at their intermediate points.

The features constituting the four point suspension consist, in addition to the customary links or hangers which are connected to the brake-beam heads, not shown, and attached to the truck side-frames in the usual well known manner, of two flexible spring mem-V bers secured to the spring-plank of the car truck with their ends extending upwardly and outwardly at opposite sides of the strut or brake-lever post and at a suitable angle to receive, support and guide the truss-rods of the brake-beams at their end portions, during the movement of the brake-beam so as to assure a correct positioning of the brakebeams and maintain a concentric relation of the working faces of the brake-shoes to the tread of the car wheels, both in the service applications of said shoes to the wheels and their release therefrom under all conditions as to the wear of either the shoes or wheels, or both thereof.

Another object of my invention consists in securing the supporting spring members to the spring-plank in such a manner thatthey will be held securely in their operative position, but will enable the supporting spring 1 members to slide longitudinally with relation to the spring-plank to facilitate the more easy removal and replacement of the brakebeams without the removal of rivets, bolts, or

cotter pins or the like, whereby the building of trucks as well as making repairs to the same is greatly facilitated.

A further object of my inventionresides in securing chairs near the ends of the spring V slide on the spring members but permanent- '50 1y secured thereto.

1927; Serial No. 188,646.

Having thus given a general description of my invention, I will now in order to make the same more clear, refer to the annexed one sheet of drawings, which forms part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate-like parts: i

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing portions of the spring-plank and brake-beams in dotted lines to illustrate the application offmy invention;

V Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1, showing parts of one of the spring members broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction,

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of one of the spring supporting members taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4'is a side elevation ofone of the chairs; 1

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the chair;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the chair;

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate in detail a modified form of an abutment formed in the spring supporting members to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and I Figs. 9 to 12 show in detail modified forms of constructing the central portion of the spring supporting members so that it may be attached to an inclined spring-plank. I

Referring now to the characters'of reference, and first to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, the numeral 1 indicates the spring-plank and 2 the brake-beams, each comprising a trussrod or tension member 2, 3 the compression member, and strut 4 adapted to take the usual brake-lever, not shown. I

On the under side of the spring-plank 1, 'on each side of the transverse center line of the same is secured by means of rivets 5, a

pair of keepers 6 having arc-shaped central Y portions for supporting the spring supporting member 7. The spring supporting members are each bent upwardly to form an apex portion at the center as at 8 to contact with the longitudinal center line of the springplank on the underside face thereof, from which point they are bent downwardly passing through the keepers and have bosses 9, formed therein beyond the outer faces of the keepers to serve as abutments to hold the spring members in their normal position and to prevent them from sliding longitudinally. The ends 10, of the spring supporting members are bent upwardly and are slotted as at 11 through which the lug 12 of the chair 13 extends. The lug 12 has a hole 14 formed therein for receiving a rivet 15 the extending heads of which prevent the chair from being separated from the spring members, but allowing it to slide freely thereon. Each chair 13 is formed with a base 16 for slidably engaging the upper inclined face of the outer ends 10 of the spring members 7 and bifun cated extensions 17 rounded on their inner faces between which is formed a socket 18 for receiving the truss-rod or tension member 2 ofthe brake-beam.

The brake-beam tension member rests in the sockets 18 of the sliding chairs which can move freely longitudinally on the inclined ends of the spring supporting members and maintains the brake-shoes in a concentric position with relation to the wheels at all times.

In case of failure of beam or hangers the spring supporting members serve the purpose of a safety device to prevent the brake beams from falling tothe rails.

With my device, if it is desiredto remove the brake-beam after the hangers and other attachments, not shown, have been disc-on nected it is only necessary to raise the" ends of the spring supporting members which rest on the keepers until the bosses or abut-ments' are above the edge of the keepers after which the spring supporting members can be pushed back to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 which allows the brake-beams to be lowered and removed. In this manner the brake-beams can be removed without removing any rivets, cotter pins, bolts or pins.

In Figures 7 and 8 I have shown the abutments on the spring supporting members 7 formed as corrugations 19, instead of bosses as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. InFigures 9 and 10 I have illustrated spring supporting members formed with a boss 20 at the center for engaging the spring-plank which is more desirable for use when the latter is inclined, and a somewhat similar construction is shown in Figures 11 and 12 in which the central portion of the spring supportingmembersis formed arched as at 21.

Although I have shown and described my invention in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limitedto the exact and specific details shown and described, but may use such substitutions, modifications or equivalents thereof as are embraced within the scope of my invention or as pointed out in the claims. 7

Having thus describedmy invention what I claim and. desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A support for brake-beams, comprising a spring-plank, keepers permanently secured to the spring-plank near each side thereof, a spring supporting member permanently secured to the spring-plank by means of the keepers having a central upwardly extendin apex portion between the keepers for resiliently engaging the spring-plank, down wardly inclined intermediate portions for yieldingly engaging the keepers and upwardly extending slotted end portions, sliding chairs permanently secured to the upwardly inclined slotted end portions, abutments formed in the downwardly inclined intermediate portions for normally engaging the keepers for holding the spring supporting member against longitudinal movement, the

bearing surface of the keepers being spaced apart from the spring-plank to allow the abutment to slide over the keeper and out of engagement with the spring-plank when the end of the spring supporting member is raised. i

2. A support for brake-beams, comprising a spring-plank, U-shaped keepers having manently secured to the spring-plank by means of the keepers having a central up-.

9o flanged edges permanently secured to the wardly extending apex portion for normally engaging the spring-plank between the keepers, downwardly extending intermediate portions for yieldingly engagmg the keepers and upwardly extending slotted ends, sliding portions, abutments formed in the inclined intermediate portions of the spring supporting member for engaging the keepers beyond the outer faces thereof for normally holding chairs permanently secured to the slotted end the spring supporting members against lon gitudinal movement and adapted for slidable engagement with the spring-plank and keepers when the end of the spring supporting member is raised.

3. A trussed brake-beam, spring members plank, abutments on the spring members for normally engaging the keepers beyond the outer faces thereof for holding the spring members centrally on the spring-plank, said keepers having their bearing surfaces spaced. apart from the spring-plank to allow the abutments to slide over the bearing surface of the keepers and outof' engagement with the spring-plank when the end of the spring supporting member is vertically raised.

4. A support for brake-beams, comprising i a spring-plank, keepers permanently secured to the bottom of the spring-plank near each side thereof, a spring supporting member permanently secured to the spring-plank. by p means of the keepers, having a central upwardly extending apex portion between the keepers for engaging the spring-plank on the underside face, downwardly inclined intermediate portions for yieldingly engaging the keepers and upwardly and outwardly extending slotted end portions, sliding chairs permanently secured to the upwardly inclined slotted end portions, abutments formed in the downwardly inclined intermediate portions for normally engaging the outer side face of the keepers for holding the spring supporting member against longitudinal movement, the bearing surfaces of the keepers being spaced apart from the spring-plank to allow one of the abutments formed on the spring supporting member to slide over the keeper when either end is raised thereby allowing the spring supporting member to slide out of engagement with the spring-plank.

5. A fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a spring-plank, keepers permanently secured to the spring-plank, spring supporting members each having a central apex portion adapted to contact with the underside face of the spring-plank, downwardly inclined intermediate portions for engaging the keepers and upwardly inclined end portions, said spring supporting members being permanently secured to'the spring-plank by the keepers and held centrally in position by their own resiliency, abutments formed in the spring support-ing members for normally holding them against longitudinal movement, said spring support ing members adapted when one end is raised to slide longitudinally on the keepers out of engagement with the spring-plank, and sliding chairs permanently secured to the spring supporting members for engaging and supporting the brake-beams at intermediate points.

6. A fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a spring-plank, keepers permanently secured to the spring-plank, spring supporting members each having a central apex portion adapted to contact with the underside face of the spring-plank, downwardly inclined intermediate portions for engaging the keepers and upwardly inclined slotted end portions, said spring sup porting members being permanently secured to the spring-plank by the keepers and normally held centrally in position by their own resiliency, bosses formed in the spring supporting members engaging the outer faces of the keepers for normally holding them against longitudinal movement but adapted for longitudinal movement when one of the bosses is raised above the bearing surface of the keepers, and a sliding chair permanently secured to each of the upwardly inclined slotted ends of the spring supporting members for engaging and supporting the brake-beams at intermediate points.

7. A fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a spring-plank, keepers permanently secured to the spring-plank, spring supporting members each having a central apex portion adapted to contact with the underside face of the spring-plank downwardly inclined intermediate portions for engaging the keepers, bosses formed in the downwardly inclined intermediate portions of the spring supporting members adapted to normally engage the outer faces of the keepers and holding them against longitudinal movement but adapted for longitudinal slid-e movement out of engagement with the spring-plank when one of the bosses is raised above the bearing surface of the keepers, a sliding chair mounted on each of the upwardly inclined slotted ends of the spring supporting members for engaging and supporting the brake-beams at intermediate points, and a lug projection formed on each of the sliding chairs extending through each slot and permanently secured to the upwardly inclined ends of the spring supporting members.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

LOUIS G. MILLER. 

